Previously, Oncaspar was only an approved treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients who are allergic to Elspar (L-asparaginase), the disease’s standard cancer drug.

Patients would get three Oncaspar injections instead of 21 Elspar injections over five months of treatment, according to an FDA news release.

“This treatment is a valuable alternative to current therapy,” says Steven Galson, MD, MPH, in the FDA news release. Galson directs the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The FDA approved Oncaspar’s expanded use based on a study of 118 pediatric patients. The study showed that Oncaspar “could be safely and effectively substituted for Elspar as part of a multi-drug cancer regimen,” states the FDA.